California overtime rules apply to non-exempt employees. Exempt (salaried) employees are not subject to §510 overtime.
§510 Overtime Thresholds
FieldTime enforces the following thresholds directly from California Labor Code §510:| Situation | Hours worked | Premium rate | Rule code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily overtime | More than 8 hours in a single day | 1.5× regular rate | CA-510-DAILY-OT |
| Daily double-time | More than 12 hours in a single day | 2× regular rate | CA-510-DAILY-DT |
| Weekly overtime | More than 40 hours in a workweek | 1.5× regular rate | CA-510-WEEKLY-OT |
| 7th consecutive day — first 8 hours | First 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day of the workweek | 1.5× regular rate | CA-510-7TH-DAY-OT |
| 7th consecutive day — beyond 8 hours | Beyond 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day | 2× regular rate | CA-510-7TH-DAY-DT |
How the 7th-Consecutive-Day Rule Works
California §510(a) provides that when you work all seven days of a workweek, the first eight hours on that seventh day are paid at 1.5× and any additional hours that day are paid at 2×. FieldTime counts consecutive worked days within the workweek (Monday through Sunday) and automatically applies both theCA-510-7TH-DAY-OT and CA-510-7TH-DAY-DT findings as appropriate.
Daily vs. Weekly Overtime — No Double-Counting
California law does not double-count. If you work 10 hours on Monday (2 hours of daily OT at 1.5×), those 10 hours still count toward the 40-hour weekly total, but payroll processes the daily OT premium first. FieldTime’s audit reflects this: daily overtime findings and weekly overtime findings coexist on the same timesheet, but payroll systems use whichever rate produces the greater benefit to the employee for each hour.How FieldTime Detects Violations
FieldTime’s compliance engine runs in two passes every time you trigger an audit:Calculate hours per calendar day
FieldTime splits each punch across midnight boundaries (anchored to the
America/Los_Angeles timezone) and subtracts any recorded meal break time. The result is the net worked hours for each calendar day.Check daily thresholds
For each day, FieldTime compares net worked hours against the 8-hour and 12-hour daily thresholds. If you exceed 8 hours, it creates a
CA-510-DAILY-OT finding. If you exceed 12 hours, it also creates a CA-510-DAILY-DT finding. If the day is your 7th consecutive worked day, it applies the 7th-day rule codes instead.Sum weekly hours
FieldTime totals all net worked hours for the workweek (Monday through Sunday). If the total exceeds 40 hours, it creates a
CA-510-WEEKLY-OT finding for the week.Understanding Overtime Findings
When you see an overtime finding on your timesheet, it means FieldTime has detected that your recorded hours exceed a §510 threshold. Here’s what to do:- The entry is correct
- The entry has an error
- You need your manager's help
If the hours you recorded are accurate, the overtime is expected. Accept the finding in the Compliance Audit panel. This tells FieldTime and your manager that you have reviewed the entry and confirmed it is correct. Accepted findings no longer block submission.For employees on prevailing wage projects, overtime premiums may already be built into the project’s wage determination. Your payroll department will apply the correct rate at processing time — your job is simply to confirm the hours are right.
Compliance Audit Summary Bar
After running an audit, the Compliance Audit panel displays a summary row showing your week broken down into:| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Total Punched | Gross hours between clock-in and clock-out, before any deductions |
| Regular | Hours paid at the standard straight-time rate (up to 8 hrs/day, 40 hrs/week) |
| Overtime (1.5×) | Hours qualifying for the 1.5× premium rate |
| Double-Time (2×) | Hours qualifying for the 2× premium rate |
| Meal Premium | One-hour penalty blocks generated for missed or short meal breaks |
| Leave | Approved leave hours (vacation, sick, holiday) |
| Total Hours | Sum of all compensable hours for payroll |
All §510 Rule Codes
The following rule codes appear in compliance findings and audit logs:| Rule code | Meaning |
|---|---|
CA-510-DAILY-OT | Daily overtime — worked more than 8 hours in a calendar day |
CA-510-DAILY-DT | Daily double-time — worked more than 12 hours in a calendar day |
CA-510-WEEKLY-OT | Weekly overtime — worked more than 40 hours in the workweek |
CA-510-7TH-DAY-OT | 7th consecutive day, first 8 hours — paid at 1.5× |
CA-510-7TH-DAY-DT | 7th consecutive day, beyond 8 hours — paid at 2× |